Fishermen in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island prefecture, have competed in races in traditional rowboats to wish for a good catch and safety at sea.
The event held on Tuesday in Itoman City dates back more than 400 years.
In one race, 10-man teams from 3 local communities paddled rowboats measuring about 7 meters long on an 800-meter course near a fishing port as onlookers cheered from the shore.
A member of the winning team of oarsmen said they'd practiced hard every day, and hope to bring in a big catch this season
